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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28144806">Partners</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritLarge/pseuds/WritLarge'>WritLarge</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hot Fuzz (2007)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:14:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,485</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28144806</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritLarge/pseuds/WritLarge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Then Nicholas had shown up riding that bloody horse like a fucking action hero and Danny had frozen in awe. Whatever had been holding him back had shattered and somewhere in the middle of the gunfight he’d realized he’d never been more in love in his life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Nicholas Angel/Danny Butterman, danny butter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>170</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Yuletide 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Partners</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomDancer/gifts">FandomDancer</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Christ.” Danny let his head thunk back against the headrest. What a fucking day. </p><p>Angel is still on the road, deep in conversation with the tallest of the London coppers who didn’t seem to want to shut up. There hadn’t been much point in Danny sitting around, trying to look like he knew what he was doing, not after his Dad had been locked up in the back of the police van. At least he didn’t have to bear that look anymore. The I’m-disappointed-in-you look times about ten million with rage and disgust. Fuck.</p><p>His stomach had managed to recover from the lead weight dropped in it when the brass had been trying to convince Angel to go back to London with them. He’d been so disinterested in their offer though - Danny smiled again to himself. Yeah, that’d been a silver lining at least. Wouldn’t be so bad, would it, with Nicholas staying?</p><p>He watched Angel shake hands with the three stooges all proper like before turning to walk towards the car Danny sat in. He looked knackered. When he got there, Nicholas pulled open the door and sank into the passenger seat, that awful green blanket tossed into the back with Danny’s.</p><p>“You all right?”</p><p>Nicholas sighed, “Yeah, just really fucking tired.”</p><p>“Sleep for a month tired or can’t think straight and just want to go to the pub tired?”</p><p>“Bit of both.”</p><p>“Yeah.” Made sense, that. Danny thought he could use a drink himself. But technically, they were still on duty, weren’t they? “We going back to the station, then?”</p><p>“Got to book them in don’t we?” He watched Nicholas rub his eyes and shift in his seat as if trying to shake off that day's events. They were going to be sore tomorrow, he’d bet. Nicholas paused as he was putting on his seat belt, “Fuck, do we even have room at the station?” </p><p>Fair question. There were a lot of the NWA bastards.</p><p>“Nope.” Their four wee cells wouldn’t cut it. “We could ask Tony, though. He’s got bunk beds we could borrow.”</p><p>Nicholas snorted out a laugh and Danny counted it as a win.</p><p>---</p><p>Danny splashed some water on his face. They were making coffee at the station almost as fast as they could drink it, but he was still struggling. Angel, on the other hand, had gotten a second wind and was eager to tackle the fuckton of paperwork facing all of them before they were free. </p><p>He looked in the mirror to smooth out his hair and tidy himself a bit. No more slacking. He was going to do better, be a proper officer from here on out. Nicholas deserved that much from him. Inspired it in him, really. His Dad never had. He’d been happy just to see Danny mostly out of trouble (and out of the way, apparently). </p><p>Dad hadn’t been thrilled with Danny hanging out with Angel. Told him “ don’t get too attached, my boy” and “A man like that won’t stay in this little town for long - best keep it professional”, as though being professional was ever something Danny had been pressured into being, missing hat notwithstanding.</p><p>But Angel had been so different, magnetic, and it had been hard. Then Danny had pulled himself together long enough to get him out, push him away and send him off, when he hadn’t been able to stand against his Dad. Not then. Not even with Nicholas calling them partners and sending Danny’s heart up into his throat.</p><p>Then Nicholas had shown up riding that bloody horse like a fucking action hero and Danny had frozen in awe. Whatever had been holding him back had shattered and, somewhere in the middle of the town-wide gunfight, he’d realized he’d never been more in love in his life.</p><p>And how was he supposed to deal with that now? Sure, he’d found his balls and partnered up with Nicholas against the neighbourhood watch, but that was over. They were booked and shipped off, to hospital or a proper prison. There was no room here and the bunk beds never would have fit anyway. No, after this it’d be back to business as usual with Danny tagging along after Nicholas. Nicholas who was surely the straightest person Danny had ever met. </p><p>Fuck. Danny smacked himself. Come on. Focus. Time to be productive-like and stuff his unwanted feelings down where they wouldn’t bother anyone. </p><p>He grabbed his clipboard and headed back to the others.</p><p>---</p><p>The bed where he woke up was unfamiliar and strangely tilted? Oh. Hospital. He’d gotten himself shot, hadn’t he? And then the building had blown up. That’d been a surprise.</p><p>A quick glance told him he wasn’t alone. There was a peace lily on one of the tables and Nicholas himself was in a chair nursing a cup of tea. The clock read 4pm.</p><p>“Thought you didn’t drink caffeine after midday?”</p><p>Nicholas’ head snapped up, eyes meeting his.</p><p>“Sorry.” The apology shot out of his mouth before Danny could stop it.</p><p>“What for?” Angel said, brow going all frowny. </p><p>“Dunno... Suppose I should’ve thought to check for-”</p><p>“Shut up, Danny.” Nicholas was out of his chair and at Danny's side before he could blink, gently pulling him into a half hug, as though he wasn’t sure he was welcome. Or maybe he was just doing it because he thought he should?</p><p>“You’ve already taken a shotgun blast for me. I don’t know what you think you’ve got to apologize for.”</p><p>“Yeah, but, I’m not exactly-”</p><p>“Stop. Just stop.” Nicholas moved back to grab Danny by the shoulders, looking at him with red eyes and his serious-Sgt-Angel face. “Do you really think there’s anyone else I’d rather have at my back now?”</p><p>“Really?” he asked. Nicholas softened. </p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“What about the others? Are they all right? The building blew up, I didn’t hallucinate that?” Didn’t imagine Nicholas crying over him, telling him it was going to be fine while Danny’s gut was on fire and his head ringing?</p><p>“No,” Angel grimaced, “you unfortunately did not.” </p><p>Nicholas reassured him that everyone was okay, with minor injuries, concussions, and the like. Well, not everyone. Tom Weaver was quite dead. Danny had more questions, of course, but a horde of nurses and doctors shooed Nicholas out and began prodding him. He’d slept off the worst of the healing period. They told him he’d had surgery and he was healing well, and that was good.</p><p>“If it’s good and everything, can I go home?”</p><p>“Do you live alone?” One of the doctors asked.</p><p>“He'll come home with me,” Nicholas said, and before Danny could get a word in edgewise they were talking back and forth, arranging things and ignoring him entirely. He’d have thrown something at them if he’d anything at hand. Of course, that didn’t mean he didn’t <em>want</em> to go home with Nicholas. Only, wait a tic.</p><p>“Hold on. You don’t have a flat.” </p><p>“Yes, I do.”</p><p>“Since when?”</p><p>“Since I wasn’t going to sleep anywhere owned by people who’d tried to kill me earlier that day.”</p><p>“Fair.”</p><p>Angel explained to the confused staff that he had, in his hypercompetent fashion, found his own place, moved in, and set things up proper in short order. Having Danny there would be no problem.</p><p>Danny waited until they’d gone before waving Nicholas back over to him.</p><p>“What was that?”</p><p>“You’re coming to stay with me while you heal?” Nicholas was cute when he was confused.</p><p>“Oh, are you asking me?” He wanted to be annoyed but Danny felt his ire fading fast. Christ, he was weak for him.</p><p>“Danny.” Nicholas sat on the edge of his bed, reaching out to brush their hands together. “You scared me.”</p><p>Angel, scared? Danny hadn’t been. Hadn’t even had time to think, really, what with jumping on instinct and then having a building drop on his head. But Nicholas had been in the middle of that too and <em>Danny</em> was what had worried him? </p><p>“I did?” He shifted his hand closer in response and tried not to flush when Nicholas threaded their fingers together, eyes all soft-like. Look at them. They fit. Maybe Nicholas wasn’t as straight as all that after all? </p><p>“Yeah, so let me keep an eye on you. Okay, partner?” </p><p>Partner. He did like the sound of that.</p><p>Danny nodded, “You and me… and my movie collection. You do have a telly in this new place of yours?” He’d better. Smitten or not, Danny could have him fetch his own if need be.  </p><p>“Course I do,” Nicholas ran his free hand over his face. “Maybe something with fewer cops and robbers though.” And nobody getting shot went unsaid.</p><p>Danny tugged him closer so he could press their foreheads together. Nicholas closed his eyes and sighed. Definitely bi. Score. This was going to be brilliant.</p><p>“How do you feel about blowing shit up in space?”</p>
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